The Kingdom of Greyhawk
Mordenkainen-scrying.jpg|Organisations of Greyhawk|link=Organisations of Eth Silver dragon.jpg|Dragons of Greyhawk|link=Dragon Overview Once part of the Landorian Commonwealth The continent of Faerenrathe Elective Monarchy The Free City of Greyhawk At war with the Incursion The city of Greyhawk, named for the small grey hawks which populate the region, was originally a trading outpost on the Selintan River specializing in local wood and woven garments. In time the town developed strong textile and meat-packing industries, reaping the wealth of the fertile Southvales and the skilled gnomes that worked their soil. Eventually, Greyhawk came to be ruled by a warlord, who took the title "Lansgraf of the Selintan". His son, Jostrahn Harran, was then married to the Thane of Hardby's daughter, Elesbeth. The nuptials formalized a political alliance that served as the basis for rule over the Lanstadt of Selintan, an area that eventually became known as the Kingdom of Greyhawk after Jostrahn took the title for himself. In, Greyhawk came under the domination of the Landorian Empire as a vassal state in all but name and remained so while the royal house of Hannadrake maitained a strong frip. Circa 310 CY, the mage Zagig Yragerne emerged from the Wild Coast and bribed his way into a seat on the King's Council. Soon after, Zagyg would be named Alderman of the city. Greyhawk subsequently rose in fame and prominence under the leadership of Alderman Zagyg. He instituted legal reform, developed a new currency, fortified the walls, founded the city's first university and embarked on a major building program. Most notably, he directed the construction of nearby Castle Greyhawk. When the Harran line looked to be ending without a legal heir, Zagyg manouvered to have himself legally adopted into the royal house, ensuring that with the death of King Terast he would himself become the new King of the North. Although King Zagyg became increasingly erratic over time, his rule is generally considered to be the most effective in the Free City's history and brought widespread prosperity to the region. Much to the annoyance of Dyvers and other rival cities, Zagig proclaimed Greyhawk to be the "Gem of the North" and did much to ensure this moniker was justified. Unfortunately, the "Mad Mageking" suddenly disappeared in 421 CY, leaving no clues regarding his whereabouts, and no heir to inherit the title of King of Greyhawk. After decades of Zagyg's absence, with the Kingdom being overseen by the King's Council, the title of King of Greyhawk was abolished, and the Free City's ruling oliarchy was renamed the High Coucil and Lord Paerinn was named the new Alderman. It was Lord Paerinn that would eventually bring the Kingdom of Greyhawk into the Landorian Empire, under the firm hand of the Royal House of Hannadrake. The Kingdom of Greyhawk was renamed as The Holdings of Greyhawk, or usually just 'The Holdings'. Despite the absorbtion of Greyhawk into the greater Empire, the city in fact gained in wealth over the deacdes with a succession of Aldermen, elected by a select few high ranking nobles, scholars, and merchants, looking well to the affairs of the city. Thise was to last until the rise of the 'Black Hand', the evil Emperor Lastran, over the Landorian Empire. With his obsession with Crusade against the distantIsrian Caliphates, the mad Emperor's reign would be one that saw ever more draconian taxes being levied on all parts of the Empire, throttling it to near death in his obssession, not least the wealthy Holdings of Greyhawk. Two decades of being bled of it's wealth and youth would sour the people of the Holdings. When, sick and tired of the heinous taxes, the merchants and magi of the Grey College rose up behind the mage Solmon Vax in a demand for peace, the Empire broke into civil war as the Royalist forces of the Knights of Law and the High Chancel moved to conter open rebellion against the divine right to rule of the Hannadrakes. Sensing the time was right, the then Alderman, Yesith Hollcraft, with full backing of the High Council declared the secession of the Free City of Greyhawk and it's independence in the now inevitable civil war. What would follow would be 30 years of brutal civil war that tore apart an already drained Empire. During this though, Greyhawk thrived and expanded, resecuring it's ancient lands in the north, including Highwold to the west and the Dankmyre port town of Lowmouth to the east. In this period Greyhawk would even send settlers through the Hope Pass and establish new towns and farms in the Cairn Hills, north of the Ironwall Mountains, taking advantage of the vacant lands following recent battle for freedom there by the Clansman of McMurdark from the tyrannical Order of Elemental Power at the Battle of Emridy Heath. The Landorian Empire was powerless to do anything but watch as it destoyed itself in a grinding ongoing war between the Solmonites and the Royalists. When the war eventually ended, with neither side winning a decisive victory, but both being ground to a standstill by the years of bloody attrition, the newly formed Landorian Commonwealth was in no state to be able to reclaim the Holdings, or the Free City's newly annexed territories. In fact, Greyhawk was instrumental, alongside Waterdeep, in providing key resources to helping the Commonwealth to start to recover and the Free City of Greyhawk was begrudgingly recognised as an independant state by both the Hannadrakes and the House of Solmon, though few doubt that once the Commonwealth has recovered sufficiently it will move to regain the Northern Holdings that it considers rightfully and legally it's own. In the meantime, a cooperative peace is held and trade flows south. The North Holdings see the re-emergence of the Order of Elemental Power, once thought defeated and their grand temple secured for all time, and the High Council of Greyhawk and the Harpers make moves to support the agents of the Navigator's Guild active in the area. Working together, these factions alert and unite the clansmen and new settlers of the Cairn Hills into an army, once more marching out to meet the enemy horde at Emridy Heath, while the Navigator's Guild group, known as 'Beric's Brigade' were tasked with breaking into the grand temple of the enemy itself in order to sever the demonic powersource that was being used to corrupt and control the elemental creations of the Order. What happened next is unknown. Beric's Brigade was never heard of again, but as the elemental forces and orc and goblin hordes of the Order faced up against the humans, elves, and gnomes of the Cairn Hills, the sky darkened and fire rained down and the ground itself split as a new threat loomed. The arch devil Asmodeus now walked Eth once more and his domination was swift and merciless. The forces of the Order were subjigated and usurped, and their enemy was crushed as devils poured into Eth. The Incursion had begun. Organisations of Greyhawk The High Council *Alderman Rafterhan The Circle of Eight *Mordenkainen *Shivrandar the Silver *Tenser *Bigby The Pale House *Iggwilv, The Witch Queen *Lord Graz'zt The Horned Society *Iuz the Old Powers of Greyhawk *Neb Retnar *Lord Robilar *Riggby Severnligh of Shir The Free City of Greyhawk Locations of Note Middlehold (The Duchy of Middlehold) The Free City of Greyhawk The Ruins of Castle Greyhawk Zagyg Yragerne The Ironwall Mountains Hope Pass The North Holdings (The Duchy of Northold) The Lost Holdings The Incursion The West Holdings (The Duchy of Westhold) Darkwall Stand The Highwold The East Holdings (The Duchy of Easthold) The Barony of Soulmyre Baroness Von Zarovich Strahd Von Zarovich Barovia Castle Ravenloft The South Holdings (The Duchy of Southold) The Southvales Dragons of Greyhawk *Bylefire the Black, The Lost Holdings *Shivrandar the Silver of Greyhawk *Melatheraine of Dankmyre *Raskas of Highwold Category:The Freecity of Greyhawk Category:R Category:Location Category:The Risenlands Category:Eth Category:The Plane of Eth Category:The Incursion Category:The East Holdings Category:The West Holdings Category:The North Holdings Category:The South Holdings Category:The Southvales Category:The Lost Holdings Category:The Barony of Soulmyre Category:The Continent of Faerenrathe Category:Barovia Category:Castle Ravenloft Category:The Duchy of Middenhold Category:The Duchy of Northold Category:The Duchy of Westhold Category:The Duchy of Easthold Category:The Duchy of Southold Category:The Kingdom of Greyhawk Category:Elective Monarchy